Enabling transmission of expert knowledge in the diagnostic process is the main task of the system. Transfer of medical records and assurance of communication between those involved in teleconsultation constitute indispensable elements of the system. The system can be constructed using a wide variety of telecommunication technologies such as fax or phone. Nowadays, however, tele-information systems, including digital modes of communication widely supported by information system, become dominant when it comes to transmission of medical knowledge.

Organization of communication between participants is one of the most important aspects of the way teleconsultation systems operate, namely, the way a physician requesting teleconsultation cooperates with a specialist. From that point of view, one can distinguish two ways of conducting teleconsultation:

• Asynchronous teleconsultation – in which both parties work independently; physician ordering consultation prepares patient’s medical test results and after interpreting them, forwards them to a specialist. At this stage, it is possible to arrive at an initial diagnosis with the request for its verification. After receiving test results, specialist makes a diagnosis which is forwarded to the physician who requested it. Electronic mail seems to be the most appropriate way of conducting teleconsultation in this case.
• Synchronous teleconsultations – in which both parties communicate simultaneously in a joint session. Contrary to asynchronous systems, synchronous ones significantly improve the quality of consultation: depending on the capabilities of the system, participants may use voice calls, chat, video call or interactive pointer which may point to significant areas of interest.

Teleconsultations conducted in a synchronous way form remotely shared workstations that are similar to those traditional ones. As far as the medical community is concerned, it will encompass sharing of information, mainly pictorial, and delivery of voice channels through which they can communicate. Enriching interactive sessions with additional media such as video, chat or interactive pointer makes synchronous teleconsultations even more similar to their traditional counterparts. Certain features of synchronous consultations such as the possibility of common, interactive work on medical documentation make them superior to asynchronous ones. Due to the possibility of direct communication between a specialist and a physician requesting consultation, the time needed to make a diagnosis can be significantly shortened. On the other hand, non-interactive approach, namely the one that is being organized in asynchronous mode, has the advantage of no time constraints. Nevertheless, interactive consultations might turn out to be a better choice if one has to put too much effort into preparing appropriate data for a non-interactive consultation.